DRINKING WATER
Quick-Lock Saves Contractor $225,000
Mechanical point repair offers a cost-effective, efficient alternative to traditional lining for fixing pipe defects. These thin-profile stainless-steel sleeves restore structural integrity and seal leaks quickly, significantly reducing project costs while maintaining optimal flow.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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![oakmont-success-story]( "How Strategic Valve Installation Prevented Service Disruption at a Senior Living Facility")
How Strategic Valve Installation Prevented Service Disruption at a Senior Living FacilityLearn how Hydra-Stop’s insertion valve provided new control points to mitigate future disruptions during a service line emergency.
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![NRW_iStock-1197955157.jpg]( "How Attacking Non-Revenue Water Boosts Revenue While Reinforcing Sustainability")
How Attacking Non-Revenue Water Boosts Revenue While Reinforcing SustainabilityA growing water scarcity problem and increasing water loss regulations are putting more pressure than ever on municipal water utilities to be good stewards of water resources. The problem is that the main factor impeding sustainability — non-revenue water, or NRW — is often approached haphazardly at best. For utilities lacking a comprehensive NRW strategy, it is not too late to get on the right track.
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![Injection flow]( "A More Cost-Effective Tool For Oxygen Injection Flow Measurement")
A More Cost-Effective Tool For Oxygen Injection Flow MeasurementVariable area (VA) flow meters offer an economical solution in many hazardous wastewater applications, as well as a variety of other uses, but are often overlooked by engineers and plant operators who think a higher level of flow measurement technology is necessary.
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![BEACON® Advanced Metering Analytics (AMA) Managed Solution Transforms City Of Avon’s Water System]( "BEACON SaaS Managed Solution Transforms City Of Avon's Water System")
BEACON SaaS Managed Solution Transforms City Of Avon's Water SystemOnce a small town not far from Cleveland, the City of Avon is now one of the fastest growing communities in northeast Ohio.
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![CriticalPipeBursts.jpg]( "How To Find Critical Pipe Bursts")
How To Find Critical Pipe BurstsWhile there are commonalities for the chief causes of burst pipes (i.e. frozen pipes, water pressure, corrosion, etc.), the impact of each pipe burst will vary depending on the burst size, duration, location, time of the day, and many other parameters.
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![High-accuracy-UM-blog-pic-1-1024x683]( "Precision Accuracy Flow Measurement Through Ultra Mag Implementation")
Precision Accuracy Flow Measurement Through Ultra Mag ImplementationExplore why he Hach Ultra Mag is a fan favorite in numerous industries such as municipal water and wastewater, amongst others.
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![ProtectingOurWater]( "Protecting Our Water – Keep Chemicals In The Tank")
Protecting Our Water – Keep Chemicals In The TankLeaking or overfilled tanks can cause environmental problems, contaminate drinking water, and cost a company millions of dollars. Proper instrumentation, monitoring and control can prevent these problems. By Bill Sholette, Level Products Business Manager, and Ricardo Chavez, Solutions Business Manager, Endress+Hauser
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![Vital_fire_suppression_line_remains_live_while_AVT_EZ_Valve_is_installed-5]( "Vital Fire Suppression Line Remains Live While AVT EZ Valve Is Installed")
Vital Fire Suppression Line Remains Live While AVT EZ Valve Is InstalledA major Texas-based refinery provides significant feedstock flexibility and product diversity to the area’s operations. The plant dates to the early 1900s and following upgrades now produces more than 125,000 barrels per day. A vital element of any refinery is its ability to be constantly ready to respond to a fire, so when the refinery found an inoperable valve on its 12” carbon steel fire suppression line and was in need of a way to add a valve to their system without shutting down the line, their maintenance and repairs contractor, ISS, suggested installing an AVT EZ Valve.
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![GettyImages-1307827350_elmhurst IL]( "AMI And Leak Detection Stops The Flow Of Non-Revenue Water")
AMI And Leak Detection Stops The Flow Of Non-Revenue WaterHow are water utilities getting the deluge of real and apparent water losses under control? The City of Elmhurst, a stately suburb west of Chicago with a population of about 46,000 residents, is a case study on how one municipality took on the issue.
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![Spigot]( "Improved Flow Measurement Through Multiple In-Pipe Readings")
Improved Flow Measurement Through Multiple In-Pipe ReadingsA combination of water scarcity and the desire to provide exceptional service has driven water utility managers to be focused more than ever on acquiring accurate, real-time insight into their distribution systems. Operators face a natural hurdle, however, when using traditional center-line electromagnetic flow meters, which don’t account for velocities that vary across a pipe. Fortunately, a solution has emerged to address the issue.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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MEGA-STOP Bell Protection System Aids In Pipe Joint Assembly4/13/2021
Water and wastewater piping come in a variety of materials, joints, and diameters. They can meet a multitude of demands and needs for the country's infrastructure.
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Leak Detection On Water Distribution Network Using Clamp-On Flowmeters5/22/2023
A global engineering company realized that their leak identification methods were time consuming and expensive, and so began to explore alternative solutions, such as ultrasonic flow meters.
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Determination Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Seafood4/20/2015
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a large group of organic compounds found naturally in the environment. PAHs are monitored by the US Environmental Protection Agency due to their carcinogenic characteristics.
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Advances In Paper-Based Devices For Water Quality Analysis2/22/2017
Water quality test strips have been around for decades. They are usually constructed from a porous media, including different types of paper, and undergo a color change when dipped into water containing the analyte of interest. These test strips have seen application in swimming pools, aquariums, hot tubs, remediation sites, and other commercial/environmental areas.
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Flow Monitoring At Sea Water Reverse Osmosis Plant Improves Water Distribution1/6/2025
Read about a desalination plant that was in need of a practical verification methodology for permanent and/or temporary (portable) solutions on large pipes.
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Bridge Crossings And The Proper Use Of EX-TEND®, FLEX-TEND®, And Force Balanced FLEX-TEND Products11/1/2020
Of particular interest when it comes to bridges is the locating of pressurized water lines on and under bridge structures. Pressurized pipelines can present a number of unique challenges to the design engineer and utility owner.
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Reduced Bore Electromagnetic Flowmeter10/29/2021
Being able to accurately measure both the quantity and rate of water passing through a water distribution system is crucial to gain an informed understanding of overall efficiency. As such, achieving a measurement that is exact as possible can have a significant impact on key areas. This includes supply planning, maintenance, resource deployment, leakage detection and the overall environment.
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Dosing Of Sodium Hypochlorite Solution For Drinking Water Disinfection9/22/2022
A water purveyor was in urgent need of a chemically resistant flow instrumentation with a long life of service that allowed reliable and long-term stable dosing of the sodium hypochlorite solution.
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Determination Of Pesticide Residues In Tea4/10/2015
In 2012, Americans consumed well over 79 billion servings of tea, which is just over 3.60 billion gallons.
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Complete Flow Solutions11/11/2024
Siemens’ extensive portfolio includes various flow measurement technologies, such as Coriolis, clamp-on ultrasonic, vortex, and differential pressure meters, catering to a wide range of industrial needs.
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
While dosing challenging chemicals can be tricky for operators, there are a range of technologies that will help mitigate problems and ensure smooth, accurate, and dependable chemical dosing.
Today, pressure measurement technology is often used for measuring liquids, pastes and gases. With a wide range of sensor technology Endress+Hauser offer instruments with perfect fit for any kind of application.
In municipal drinking water applications or pre-treatment for desalination plants using gravity filters, the filter underdrain is one of the most important components contributing to overall system performance and operation — whether a new filter design or retrofitting an existing filter.
The PermaSeal Insertion Valve is a true resilient wedge gate valve that embraces applicable requirements of the AWWA industry standard and is compatible with most major pipe types. Developed with “clean seat” technology, this insert valve solution offers reliable and repeatable watertight shutoff suitable for utilities’ exercise programs.
The Series NXT3000 Gas Feed System is a family of vacuum-operated, solution-feed gas dispensing components including a vacuum regulator, meter assembly, and a selection of ejectors to meet customer needs for feeding chlorine, sulfur dioxide, ammonia or carbon dioxide gas. The Series NXT3000 is a versatile, high quality system which operates at sonic conditions eliminating the need for regulating differential pressure across the rate control valve. Proven design, rugged construction, and the use of the best available materials assures precise gas feeding, low maintenance and dependable operation for the life of the equipment.
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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![River water pollution, Ecological-GettyImages-1215336784]( "The AWWA Said $2.4 Trillion. It Missed The Compound Interest.")
Einstein once said of compound interest, "He who understands it, earns it. He who doesn't, pays it." The same logic of compounding applies to the organic sediment accumulating on the floor of your drinking water reservoir. The longer you wait to address it, the more exponentially expensive it becomes to fix.
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![snowystream-Getty-521971897]( "Winter's Alarmingly Low Snowpack Offers A Glimpse Of The Changing Rhythm Of Water In The Western U.S.")
The April 1 snowpack measurement has long been the single most important number in western water management, considered a strong proxy for how much water the mountains are holding in reserve. But in 2026, that savings account has been woefully deficient. -
![ColoradoRiverDam_Getty-1280300802]( "Why Colorado River Negotiations Stalled, And How They Could Resume With The Possibility Of Agreement")
Why Colorado River Negotiations Stalled, And How They Could Resume With The Possibility Of AgreementThe five most common sources of conflict between people are values, data, relationships, interests, and structure. The current Colorado River negotiations include all five. -
![Water droplets, PFAS, Forever chemical water contamination-GettyImages-2173433890]( "Designing Resilient PFAS Treatment Strategies For Water Agencies")
Water agencies across the U.S. are facing a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that poses a conundrum: Should they take a cautious or aggressive approach to treating PFAS contamination in their water system? -
![Oil spill clean up-GettyImages-1369921282]( "The Future Of In Situ Chemical Oxidation For Targeted Solvent Destruction")
The U.S. EPA’s 2026 trichloroethylene (TCE) compliance deadlines are now forcing a concrete shift toward source-zone destruction. In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO), sequenced with enhanced bioremediation, is proving to be the most credible path to groundwater contaminant rebound mitigation.
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![GettyImages-2252444539-digital-water-2]( "How Generative Design Can Help UK Utilities Justify PR29 Investment Cases")
Generative design strengthens PR29 investment cases by enabling rigorous optioneering, accurate cost estimates, and clear outcome alignment, helping water companies meet rising regulatory expectations.
DRINKING WATER VIDEOS
Why have only 20% of water utilities deployed an AMI fixed network? If you are considering a fixed network, I've got something you seriously need to consider prior to soliciting quotations or putting out your RFP. The question is, who is going to manage the network infrastructure? Do you have qualified individuals within your utility ready to continuously monitor, maintain and manage the network? In this video, we're going to discuss some of the options available for water utilities today: a utility managed network versus a network as a service agreement (NaaS).
ABOUT DRINKING WATER
In most developed countries, drinking water is regulated to ensure that it meets drinking water quality standards. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers these standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
Drinking water considerations can be divided into three core areas of concern:
- Source water for a community’s drinking water supply
- Drinking water treatment of source water
- Distribution of treated drinking water to consumers
Drinking Water Sources
Source water access is imperative to human survival. Sources may include groundwater from aquifers, surface water from rivers and streams and seawater through a desalination process. Direct or indirect water reuse is also growing in popularity in communities with limited access to sources of traditional surface or groundwater.
Source water scarcity is a growing concern as populations grow and move to warmer, less aqueous climates; climatic changes take place and industrial and agricultural processes compete with the public’s need for water. The scarcity of water supply and water conservation are major focuses of the American Water Works Association.
Drinking Water Treatment
Drinking Water Treatment involves the removal of pathogens and other contaminants from source water in order to make it safe for humans to consume. Treatment of public drinking water is mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. Common examples of contaminants that need to be treated and removed from water before it is considered potable are microorganisms, disinfectants, disinfection byproducts, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals and radionuclides.
There are a variety of technologies and processes that can be used for contaminant removal and the removal of pathogens to decontaminate or treat water in a drinking water treatment plant before the clean water is pumped into the water distribution system for consumption.
The first stage in treating drinking water is often called pretreatment and involves screens to remove large debris and objects from the water supply. Aeration can also be used in the pretreatment phase. By mixing air and water, unwanted gases and minerals are removed and the water improves in color, taste and odor.
The second stage in the drinking water treatment process involves coagulation and flocculation. A coagulating agent is added to the water which causes suspended particles to stick together into clumps of material called floc. In sedimentation basins, the heavier floc separates from the water supply and sinks to form sludge, allowing the less turbid water to continue through the process.
During the filtration stage, smaller particles not removed by flocculation are removed from the treated water by running the water through a series of filters. Filter media can include sand, granulated carbon or manufactured membranes. Filtration using reverse osmosis membranes is a critical component of removing salt particles where desalination is being used to treat brackish water or seawater into drinking water.
Following filtration, the water is disinfected to kill or disable any microbes or viruses that could make the consumer sick. The most traditional disinfection method for treating drinking water uses chlorine or chloramines. However, new drinking water disinfection methods are constantly coming to market. Two disinfection methods that have been gaining traction use ozone and ultra-violet (UV) light to disinfect the water supply.
Drinking Water Distribution
Drinking water distribution involves the management of flow of the treated water to the consumer. By some estimates, up to 30% of treated water fails to reach the consumer. This water, often called non-revenue water, escapes from the distribution system through leaks in pipelines and joints, and in extreme cases through water main breaks.
A public water authority manages drinking water distribution through a network of pipes, pumps and valves and monitors that flow using flow, level and pressure measurement sensors and equipment.
Water meters and metering systems such as automatic meter reading (AMR) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) allows a water utility to assess a consumer’s water use and charge them for the correct amount of water they have consumed.